A Big Island family was reunited with its dog after a rescue team removed the Labrador retriever trapped in a crack in the earth. It happened at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Volcano resident Marta Caproni and her boyfriend were walking the 4-year-old chocolate Lab, Romeo, and his littermate, Tommy, at the park Oct. 4. That is when Romeo ran off and disappeared, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser newspaper reported.

"We had no idea that to the left of this gravel area, there is a major crack in the earth about 20 feet deep," she said. "Romeo went jumping around this area and disappeared. We couldn't tell he had fallen in."

Caproni said they tracked Romeo's faint whining and discovered that it was coming from deep inside a crack.

A rescue team was able to remove Romeo by sending in a park ranger, Arnold Nakata. A park news release said he found the dog apparently unhurt.

"When they pulled him up, he came walking toward me unharmed, happy as he could be," Caproni said. "He was rolling around in the grass and went back to the park rangers and kissed them."

Dogs must be on leashes at all times in areas of the park where they are permitted, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said.

"There have been cases where animals have fallen into steam vents, never to be seen again," she said. "Luckily, this turned out with a happy ending."

Caproni has lived across from the entrance to the park for 15 years. She says the dogs are obedient, so she would let them run off-leash. It is something she doesn't plan to do again.

I think that the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane is right that dogs should be on leashes because this dog was not on a leash so that is why the dog have fell on the volcano. I think that all dog should be on leashes because sometimes they could go wild and run away.

Steve0620-yyca

10/13/2015 - 09:02 p.m.

I think that it is amazing that the dog was rescued from the crack in the gravel. This was a miracle that the rescue team heard the animal whimpering and came to its rescue. Most animals were never seen again but luckily, this dog was saved. It is now back reunited with its family living happily and safely.

collinf-2-bar

10/13/2015 - 10:12 p.m.

If the owner followed the rules and had her dog on a leash, the situation would have been prevented.

I was surprised that the dog came out unhurt, since the crack is 20 feet deep.

maxwellc-3-bar

10/13/2015 - 11:14 p.m.

Walls or metal fences and proper signage could have prevented this incident and possible other that have been lost in the steam vents. The author said, "There have been cases where animals have fallen into steam vents, never to be seen again." This is a clear case of people not caring about or not preparing enough for incorrect safety-related issues. A simple metal chain-link fence could even be enough to keep animals and people from falling into these vents accidentally. At the very least, there should have been official signs that warn people "Danger! Vents!" and they should get the message across. They must also be spaced clearly able to see by anyone in the vicinity, so not too far apart. This article amazes me that no one has done anything to protect against hazards such as this. It makes me think that some people really don't care what happens to others. In my opinion, that is unacceptable in modern times. Ignorance can lead to extensive danger, and in some cases with this vent, possibly even death. People need to work to help others be and feel safe, just walking around in Hawaii!

genevieveb-6-bar

10/14/2015 - 10:20 a.m.

This problem could have been prevented if Marta Caproni had put Romeo on a leash. At the article's end, it states that "Dogs must be on leashes at all times in areas of the park where they are permitted, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said" (paragraph 7). If the park's spokesperson promotes this rule, then it is to be said that the park must value this rule. Since the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's spokeswoman, Jessica Ferracane, encourages the prospect of dogs being on leashes in the volcano park, that would have been an simple way to prevent Romeo from getting trapped in the volcanic crevice.

I found this article sad because I, an animal lover, find it heart wrenching that someone's pet could possibly never be seen again due to the owner's own negligence.

annabel1226-yyca

10/14/2015 - 07:46 p.m.

That does must have been scared. If their wasn't a crack or the dog was in the leash any of this won't happened. The owner was a bad owner not to put on the leash. Good thing that the owner heard the whining voice, and the rescue team was in time to rescue that dog. Is 4 year's old dog a old dog. I think so. That dog must been careful, because it was like 4 years old.

alexanderc-6-bar

10/14/2015 - 08:15 p.m.

The owners of the dog could've kept track of their dog so the dog didn't run off into the volcano by itself, and make sure that the dog is at home when you're not with your best friend. At least this story ended happily.

ethane-mcc

10/14/2015 - 08:22 p.m.

To prevent this issue they could have put him on a leash and trained him a little better before letting him run around in a national park.

Brandon1231-YYCA

10/14/2015 - 10:24 p.m.

I think that it is weird to have a dog be stuck in a volcano because this dog is a dog. I just think that this dog must have been a stupid dog because dogs are smart enough to look where they are going and not fall anywhere. I think that this article might have been made up, but I hope that the dog was okay because the dog could have been exploded into its or be burned by the lava.

juliep-all

10/15/2015 - 11:11 a.m.

This problem could have been prevented if the owner of the dog had a leash on the dog so that it can not run away/get lost.